Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 20:38:08 -0800 From: Tony Jones <tony@rtd.com> To: questions@freebsd.org Cc: tony@rtd.com Subject: Postscript/lpr question Message-ID: <199903190438.UAA06359@zebedee.local>
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I recently purchased a HP2100M Postscript laser printer and am having
some printing problems.
Have it connected to my FreeBSD parallel port using the
following printcap entry:
lp|local line printer:\
:sh:\
:lp=/dev/lpt0:sd=/var/spool/output/lpd:lf=/var/log/lpd-errs:
I also access the printer from Windows (NT and 98) using Samba.
>>> When printing documents from NT, I get a blank page emitted after
the last real page.
>>> Usually from Unix the activity light will remain flashing after the
job has printed, indicating data in the buffer. Eventually it times out,
no trailing blank page is printed.
I moved the PS files over to Unix, to isolate NT from the picture
and noticed the following results.
1) If the following lines are in the PS file (Windows driver adds them):
<esc>%-12345X@PJL JOB
@PJL ENTER LANGUAGE = POSTSCRIPT
%!PS-Adobe-3.0
...
%%EOF
<esc>%-12345X@PJL EOJ
<esc>%-12345X
Then the printing works perfectly if I 'cat file.ps > /dev/lpt0'
If I use lpr, I get a blank trailing page each time.
Adding a 'sf' (supress formfeeds) to the printcap cures the problem
(for lpr) except that for single page documents, nothing is printed,
just the same flashing activity LED until timeout.
2) If I remove the PJL/escape lines before the %!PS and after the %%EOF,
then I get the flashing activity light until timeout using either
the direct 'cat > /dev/lpt0' or lpr. No blank page.
I read the Handbook entry about formfeeds, tried
'(cat file.ps ; printf "\f") > /dev/lpt0
but it made no difference, still the activity light stays lit
until the timeout.
The printer's physical controls are limited to one 'cancel' button,
and the documentation is limited to NT/Mac, no mention of Unix.
Does anyone have any ideas ? Please CC: me directly. I must have
wasted 100 sheets of paper trying to figure out what exactly is
going on.
Thanks
Tony
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